Personal audio-sets, such as personal audio players, cellular phones and the like are well known. As the popularity of personal audio-sets increases, the need for auxiliary components for use with these personal audio-sets has also increased.
For example, the typical personal audio player conventionally plays audio content from any of a variety of formats including radio broadcasts, cassette tapes, compact discs (CDs) and the like. More recently, digital personal audio players have been developed that play audio content that is stored in a digital medium such as a memory circuit (e.g., flash memory) or a disk drive. These types of personal audio-sets are commonly known as MP3 payers. Examples of such MP3 Players include the iPod® players available from Apple Computer Company, including the original iPod®, the iPod® mini, and the iPod® nano.
Auxiliary components for use with personal audio-sets include docking stations, loudspeaker systems, and the like. Usually, each personal audio-set includes a fitting or jack for operably engaging such auxiliary components. The shape and functionality of these fittings and jacks tend to differ between manufacturers, and even between models for the same type of device offered by same manufacturer. Moreover, some personal audio-set manufacturers consider the shape of their connectors proprietary, thereby limiting the ability of third party manufacturers to produce auxiliary devices that can operably engage that manufacturer's personal audio-sets.
In general, the variability in the size and functionality of personal audio-set connectors has allowed auxiliary devices to connect to the personal audio-sets of only one particular manufacturer, and in some cases to only one model of that manufacturer. For example, auxiliary loudspeaker systems for use with MP3 players are gaining in popularity. The auxiliary loudspeaker usually includes the mating fitting for only one particular MP3 player, and a user connects, or “docks,” that MP3 player to the loudspeaker system, thereby allowing the digital music in that MP3 player to broadcast over the auxiliary loudspeaker system.
The mating connector for use with the auxiliary loudspeaker system is rigidly secured to the auxiliary loudspeaker system. Accordingly, if an owner of a particular auxiliary loudspeaker system wish to use a different MP3 player that has a different sized or shaped engaging connector, their existing auxiliary loudspeaker system will not connect to this different MP3 player.
Similarly, in order to ensure proper functionality of auxiliary component devices with a wide variety of MP3 players, after market manufacturers of such auxiliary components must make a variety of different models of the same loudspeaker system, with each model having a different sized and shaped mating connector attached.